Saving Adolescence
A few months back, I finally had the interest, time and energy to see Adolescence, Netflix’s award-winning short series. For a guy who never binges, 3 days was the fastest I could do 😊. But the show did more than just hold my attention- it shook me.
In December 2024, I viewed an episode on DOAC that would change the way I view the world forever. It was the discussion with Dr. Anna Lembke, author of Dopamine Nation (which of course I later finished reading in 4 days). In very simple terms, she explained how everything around us is geared to make and keep us constantly addicted and how our brains are overwhelmed.
The biggest culprit? Social media. While most people recognize the downsides, few can break away. Dr. Lembke widened my perspective on what addiction looks like, showing how digital habits mirror the same destructive patterns as drugs or alcohol.
Now for those of you who know me well, you know I am not on Insta or X and do regular digital detoxes. One of my life’s best decisions was never to join most social media platforms (always better to avoid a temptation than resist 😊). So, I was largely oblivious to how the next gen uses social media or its potential impact on their mentality. And then I saw Adolescence- without giving any spoilers, I was shocked at how deep the wounds, addictions and traumas can go. This isn’t just fiction. We are currently raising a generation defined by these struggles, a reality brilliantly captured in Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Anxious Generation”
Processing all of this — the science from Lembke, the research from Haidt, and the raw storytelling of the series — pushed me to write. I’ve put together a poem (or whatever you want to call it 😊)to capture the weight of this moment and my hopes for what comes next. In a nod to the show that started this reflection, I’ve titled it “Adolescence”
Adolescence
A world gone crazy
Fueled by anger and rage,
For we are all trapped
In this social media cage.
Not doing what we love
But what gets us a like,
The truth rarely matters
What sells is the hype.
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Anxious and depressed
A generation feels lost,
Constantly seeking pleasure
But paying a huge cost.
Those filters and edits
Aren’t true stories,
Those likes and claps
Aren’t true glories.
Bring back the days old
For now, they feel like gold,
When bonds were real
And stories from the heart were told.
Save yourself
Before in this chaos you drown,
Let me make it simple for you
Keep that bloody phone down
- Matrix
